Manchester United will soon hire their seventh manager of the post Sir Alex Ferguson era. There have been so many regime changes over thart dozen year span that even the list of interim managers is getting long now. And now, we could see one of those past interim managers get a second go-around in that role. Darren Fletcher, the U18 Head Coach is the current interim manager, for tomorrow’s fixture at Burnley, and Sunday’s FA Cup third round tie, at Old Trafford, versus Brighton. However, an ESPN report today indicates that both Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have held early-stage talks with the club, as candidates for the interim role.
Burnley FC vs Manchester United FYIs
Kickoff: Wed. Jan 7, 8:15pm, Turf Moor, Burnley, UK
Manchester United Preview Material: Managerial Candidates Team News
PL Position: Manchester United 6th, 31 pts Burnley FC 19th, 12 pts
The report goes on to state that Ruud van Nistelrooy is also being considered for a role within the club, but not as caretaker manager.
As for what INEOS/Sir Jim Ratcliffe plan to do with the full-time gig, well that hire will supposedly be made in the summer.
Until then, we’re going to see a guy who knows the club’s culture, as well as all the storied traditions, holding it down. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer began his tenure this way, replacing Jose Mourinho in December of 2018. He was then hired for the full time gig in the spring of 2019.
Yesterday saw Amorim join OGS as the only United managers in the post-Fergie era to have never won a single trophy.
As for Van Nistelrooy, he had a four game spell as the interim, in between the Erik ten Hag and Amorim eras. Carrick went undefeated in his four game spell as caretaker boss, which came in between the Solskjaer and Ten Hag regimes.
You have two more club legends, both available right now, and with extensive managerial experience, but reportedly not in the picture. Ryan Giggs, who was an assistant under Louis van Gaal from 2014-16 and the interim after David Moyes was sacked, is far too toxic to touch.
While he was cleared of the very serious legal charges brought against him, any career in the public eye, for him, is now over.
And Wayne Rooney, who has several years of managerial experience in the Championship, and Major League Soccer, is not under consideration.
Given what a train wreck his managerial regimes have been, it’s easy to understand why MUFC are not interested.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.